April 16, 2025 
matthewmace 
Here’s how many carbohydrates to eat before, during, and after riding for optimal performance.
Are you unsure how many carbs to eat before, during and after cycling to fuel performance?
If you’ve found yourself running out of energy during a ride or bonking in the second half of a race, your carbohydrate intake, or lack thereof, could be to blame.
When you get your nutrition correct, you’re less likely to blow up on long/ intense climbs and/or hard group rides, tapping into the performance you know you’re capable of.
In fact, this research paper [6] from 2022 certainly validates the approach, as, unlike a car, you can’t perform optimally with a half-full fuel tank. In other words, if you don’t keep the muscle glycogen stores ticking over throughout a ride, you simply won’t be able to perform at your best.
Carbs also play a big role in recovery, especially if you plan to ride the same day or the following day. This study [3] recommends 1.2 grams of carbohydrate per kg of body weight/hour for the first few hours of recovery.
The remainder of this article explains everything you need to know about carbs for cycling performance, including how many carbs you should eat—and when you should eat them—for optimal performance.
What you will learn:
- How many carbohydrates should you eat before, during and after cycling to fuel performance
- How to time your carbohydrate intake correctly
- What carbohydrates to prioritise and when to eat them to fuel your riding
How many carbs should I eat for optimal performance?
For intense and/or long rides, races and events, you want to eat before, during, and after cycling to fuel performance and recovery.
The sections below explain what carbs to eat and in what quantities to help you perform your best when it matters most.
Note, there are times when you don’t need to consider carbs for training. Notably on shorter zone 2 rides and short sub threshold training sessions. I’ll let expert Sports Dietitian – Steph Cronin – outline the guidelines for this, as it’s another can of worms.
Carbs before long and/or intense riding
How many carbs you should have before riding depends on various factors, like:
- Ride duration & intensity
- How long do you have to eat before riding
- How well you tolerate carbs and food before riding
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 1 to 4g/kg of carbs 1 to 4 hours before riding [5].
If you’re a 70kg athlete, that’s anywhere from 70 to 280g of carbs before riding.
You’re not mistaken: that’s a lot of carbs.
However, this isn’t something you try for the first time the morning of a 3-4 hour endurance race.
You slowly build up to these recommendations, starting at the lower end and seeing how your body responds. You gradually increase the amount of carbs as your body becomes more used to fueling properly before riding.
If eating a full meal, it’s best to prioritise low-fat, low-fibre, and a low-to-moderate protein intake. This helps minimise gastrointestinal problems and promote gastric emptying.
Example foods include:
- Oatmeal with honey and a banana
- A plain bagel with jam and a glass of orange juice
- Rice cakes, banana, and a little honey
Liquid carbs are also an option. These are excellent for riders who struggle with pre-race nerves or are dealing with an unpredictable event timetable, giving you a quick-to-digest carb option.
Additionally, you can also take advantage of liquid carbs like a watered-down sports drink during your ride to stay hydrated and get extra carbs without eating more food. Which, at the higher end of the recommended carb intake, can be quite the challenge.
Carbs during your ride
Recent research [4] has shown that athletes should aim for a minimum of 60 to 90g of carbs per hour to contribute to muscle fuel needs. For events or exercise longer than 2 hours, you can experiment with closer to 120g.
Practice eating carbs—quantity and different carb sources—during your training sessions.
For example, you may respond well to whole foods but not so well to energy gels.
We each respond differently to certain foods and carbohydrate sources. So play around with it and find what works best for you.
You can also experiment with caffeine on your ride, which is best used before bouts of high intensity, like sustained threshold efforts. Caffeine gels are convenient for these purposes, while also delivering 20 to 30g of carbs per gel.
However, remember that it takes time for caffeine to enter the bloodstream and for you to feel the effects. You’ll need to take this at least 15-30 minutes before you need it for maximum effect.
Furthermore, a 2019 study in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry found that trained athletes who ingested a mix of glucose and fructose experienced better endurance performance than participants who exclusively consumed equivalent amounts of glucose [2]. Combining glucose and fructose increases carbohydrate availability, helping to fuel performance for longer.
Foods like rice and potatoes are primarily starch, which breaks down into glucose. Energy gels often contain a mix of both fructose and glucose to support performance and optimise carbohydrate absorption while minimising gastrointestinal stress.
Be more mindful when selecting carbohydrate sources before and during your ride to set yourself up for success.
Carbs post-ride
Leave the energy gels in the saddle bag and choose rice, pasta, and other whole foods to help replenish muscle glycogen stores.
Aim to refuel with carbs and protein within 30-60 minutes after riding, but ideally as close as possible after exercise.
A recent 2024 study [1] found that delaying post-exercise carb intake can lead to substantial reductions in metabolic markers needed for recovery, causing significant compromises in next-day exercise capacity.
If you’re riding again later the same day or the following day, you may benefit from eating 30 minutes after exercise. Prioritise carbs if riding the same day to replenish glycogen stores so you have fuel for your ride.
There is approximately a 4-hour window after riding when the muscles and liver are more receptive to replenishing carbohydrates. So ensure you make the most of it!
If riding the next day, or you have a rest day, you still want to get plenty of carbs, but protein is also important. Protein is responsible for muscle repair. Aim for 20 to 40g of protein in your post-ride recovery meal.
Aim for 1.2 to 2g of protein per kg of bodyweight. Ideally, spread this out throughout the day [5].
Lots of riders drink chocolate milk after riding. Why?
It contains protein and carbs from the sugars to help replenish glycogen stores, and because it is a liquid, it also helps rehydrate.
Additionally, consuming a high amount of carbs in training also improves recovery and allows you to train more effectively, thus improving performance.
Carbohydrate loading and fueling, when done correctly, help maintain glycogen levels and keep your fuel tank topped up so you can get the most out of your training.
Key takeaways
- Get your carbohydrate intake correct to help you sustain energy levels and perform your best when it matters most
- Aim for 1 to 4g/kg of carbs 1 to 4 hours before riding
- For long rides or events, aim for 60 to 90g of carbs per hour to sustain performance
- If riding later the same day, prioritise replenishing glycogen stores by eating more carbs 30 minutes after riding
- Get 20 to 40g of protein after cycling and aim for 1.2 to 2g per kg of bodyweight to further improve recovery
Want more? Join the RCA’s power to weight program and work one-on-one with expert Sports Dietitian, Steph Cronin. The nutrition package includes 5 online consultations, a 12-week custom meal plan, training analysis, and more.
FAQs
How many carbs do I need when cycling?
During a ride that exceeds 60-75 minutes, aim for 60 to 90g of carbohydrates per hour. If riding for longer than 2.5 hours, experiment with up to 120g.
How many carbs should a cyclist have per hour?
Most cyclists can start experimenting with 90g/hour for rides over 2 hours. Over time, you can add more carbs as you train your body to respond to the fueling needs. 120g + is slowly becoming the normal, especially for elite riders.
What is the best high-carb food for cycling?
Before a ride, oats with honey and a banana are a good option. During a ride, energy gels are a popular option. Post-ride, chocolate milk and white rice or potatoes will help replenish glycogen stores.
References:
- Díaz‐Lara, J., Reisman, E., Botella, J., Probert, B., Burke, L.M., Bishop, D.J. and Lee, M.J., 2024. Delaying post‐exercise carbohydrate intake impairs next‐day exercise capacity but not muscle glycogen or molecular responses. Acta Physiologica, 240(10), p.e14215.
- Fuchs, C.J., Gonzalez, J.T. and Van Loon, L.J., 2019. Fructose co‐ingestion to increase carbohydrate availability in athletes. The Journal of physiology, 597(14), pp.3549-3560.
- Gonzalez, J.T. and Wallis, G.A., 2021. Carb-conscious: the role of carbohydrate intake in recovery from exercise. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, 24(4), pp.364-371.
- Podlogar, T. and Wallis, G.A., 2022. New horizons in carbohydrate research and application for endurance athletes. Sports Medicine, 52(Suppl 1), pp.5-23.
- Thomas, D.T., Erdman, K.A. and Burke, L.M., 2016. Nutrition and athletic performance. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc, 48(3), pp.543-568.
- Vigh-Larsen, J.F., Ørtenblad, N., Nielsen, J., Andersen, O.E., Overgaard, K. and Mohr, M., 2022. The role of muscle glycogen content and localization in high-intensity exercise performance: a placebo-controlled trial. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 54(12), pp.2073-2086.
